by Nana Malone
I laughed as I hugged him back. When he was close, he whispered, “I’m just giving you shit. You deserve the best.”
He backed away, and were his eyes fucking misty?
Drew danced from foot to foot. “My turn, my turn.”
I shook my head. “Oh my God, how about we just shake on it?”
He shook his head and practically tackled me in a hug. “Oh God, I’m so happy. You’re fucking Director Prime, you have the woman of your dreams, the Van Linsteds, are done and buried. You’ve gotten everything you could possibly want.”
“I know. Except, I don’t want to be the Director Prime, but that’s a whole other problem.”
He shrugged. “We both know you’re the better choice. You’re just going to have to accept it, and we’ll work from there.”
I nodded. He still had his arms wrapped around me. “I’m so happy for you, mate.”
“Okay, that’s enough, Drew.”
But he clung on. “I just… I love you.”
I struggled in his hold. “Yeah, I know. I love you too.”
He laughed and then clapped my back hard. “I’m just happy for you, mate. She’s going to make you really happy. She’s a badass. A force to be reckoned with. You deserve nothing less.”
“I know. I see that now. Lila was a bad choice.”
Bridge laughed. “What made you figure that out? The fact that she left you for your father or the fact that she married the old geezer?”
I coughed a laugh. “Oh my God, good riddance. Just gross.”
Bridge shrugged. “Hey, some women have Daddy kinks. The way East is going, he’s not going to find anybody soon, so he’s going to rely on that daddy kink to find someone down the road.”
I snorted a laugh. “Oh my God, what am I going to do with you lot?”
They all ran and hugged Liv while Lucas, Bryna, Roone and Jessa tackled-hugged me.
Everyone raised their glasses again in a toast. We had vanquished one villain. Two more to go. I wished to God that Toby was there with us. All five of us had a reason to clink glasses, and I wondered what it would be like if he hadn’t died that night. What adventures would we have had, and where would our lives have taken us?
But he was gone, though after what we’d done, the cloud over his memory had dissipated some. We had two more enemies. Two more people that had taken part, but they wouldn’t get to hide much longer, because we were coming for them. And they were going to wish that Toby had never died on their watch.
All around us our friends chatted and laughed. The woman I loved watched me from the corner with a look that was part hunger and part mischief as she talked to Bryna.
Jessa sat on Roone's lap, kissing him and rubbing his neck as they chatted. Penny and Sebastian had already left. They had to get back to the kids because Penny didn't like being away for too long. Ariel and Tristan had taken off for Spain that morning, so their goodbyes had been said early.
I strolled over to Lucas and said, "Honestly, Lucas, we couldn't have pulled this off without you."
"You're right. You couldn’t have. But I'm glad you called."
Livy joined us and asked, "So, are you back to being a prince, or are you still a thief?"
"That's a good question. I think I make an excellent conman and thief. And if there's a way to do that without endangering my family, for the right cause, I might dust it off. Bryna has been doing some research and apparently has found Agogo women who have been having some trouble with gangs and such, stealing from them, extorting money from them for ‘protection’ just to function, so I'm planning to rob from the rich and give to the poor."
Bryna shook her head. "I said on a one-off basis. And the first one we’ll help is this nice old grandma. She'd been saving her pearls for her granddaughter. They were passed down from the women in her family for generations, but the stupid gang took them as collateral."
Lucas shrugged. "I feel like I can right that wrong. And it's small scale and low damage. No one is likely to get shot or killed in the process."
She sighed. "God, I hope not. I've had enough excitement for a lifetime."
Lucas leaned over and kissed her. "And the best news is that Bryna and I have set a date."
We all lifted our glasses and shouted, "About fucking time."
He grinned. "I hope to see all your faces there. I'm going to go home to the Winston Isles to get married, but I think we're going to stay in London for a bit."
East grinned. "Oh, glad to hear that, because we might be needing your services again."
"Call me anytime. I'm there."
Bryna put up a hand. "Look, he could be there, but maybe next time people don't get shot at."
I grinned. "No guarantee."
With Olivia and my mates by my side, we had pulled off the impossible. And now we just had to do it again. Twice. Easier said than done.
Bryna met my gaze. "Okay so, we took down one bad guy, who's next?”
I grinned at her. "Didn't you just say you didn't want your husband-to-be getting shot again?"
"I said shot at. He wasn't shot. He's fine."
Lucas snorted. "Yeah, never been better."
"Our next targets are Francis Middleton and Garreth Jameson."
Bryna laughed. "Any idea how to make them pay?"
I shook my head. "Nope. None. But I guess we'll figure it out as we go along."
Livy laughed. "Right now we're going to assess and research. From there, we'll do what we need to do."
Bryna nodded. "Well, Livy, if you're on research, I can help."
Livy grinned. "I’d like that."
Lucas rubbed his jaw. "But how do we work around the problem of our little Interpol friend?"
I sighed. "Well she has no real reason to be looking at us anymore. If she does, she's going to be a problem. But for now, she has enough to keep her occupied. We have wrapped up the Van Linsteds and a handful of other Elite brothers for her in a pretty package. If anything, she should be thanking us. But we shall see."
Bryna sighed. "I suppose this whole revenge thing takes time."
I grinned. "It sure does."
The door to our private room opened, and our personal hostess came in. "Hello, is there anything else I can get for you?"
Behind her, a busboy walked in, gathering up some of the glasses and the empty bottles. And he had a helper, except that helper didn't do much of anything. She just walked around a little bit and picked up a glass or two.
My gaze landed on East as his landed on the woman. She had messy dark brown hair, pulled back low at the nape of her neck. There was something familiar about her face, but her jaw was a little too wide, her upper lip a little too full. Why were her eyes familiar?
East stood. "Excuse me, do we know each other?"
I watched as the woman's eyes went wide, then her gaze met mine, Livy's, and back to East. The woman took off running.
East didn't waste a breath before he was out the door after her.
The outburst didn't even faze the others. Lucas just laughed. "It's always something with you guys. Why can't you guys ever take it easy?"
Epilogue
East
She was faster than she looked. What the fuck?
The woman darted out of the private room and into the bar. I followed as quickly as I could, but I had to avoid tripping over Livy. I practically jumped over Bryna's chair, and narrowly avoided the hostess, so she had a lead of several feet on me.
I was out of the backroom in the VIP area like a shot. And the woman in front of me turned back, her eyes slightly widening when she saw that I was approaching.
She grabbed one of the busboys by the collar and shoved him toward me, then she sprinted.
No way was she going to be fast enough.
I spun around him, avoided a table with a couple on a date, then scooted around the pair of blondes who eyed me appreciatively.
Note to self: Come back for them later.
Then I bolted out the door.
I
saw her running to the right, long legs eating pavement. Oh, she was a runner. Awesome. I was too. London Marathon, five years running. Former track athlete. This was going to be a Sunday job.
She quickly darted across the street, and I followed suit, ignoring the cars blaring their horns at us.
As she crossed the park, she started to lose some of her steam, which was when I picked up speed.
Up the hill, her legs stopped working for her and started working against her.
She slowed, and that gave me just enough advantage to put on a burst of speed and catch up to her. I grabbed her by the back of her shirt, yanking her back. "Nah, uh-uh-uh-uh. You don't get to take pictures of me and my friends and not at least tell us your name." I was irritated that I was huffing and puffing.
Jesus Christ, she was fast.
"I know all about you and your friends, the kind of men you are."
As I spoke to her, I felt along her arm. Then I spread my hands across her waist, lifted her top, and pulled the wire. She reached for it, but I kept it just out of reach. "Uh-huh, this is the camera, isn’t it?"
What I didn't account for was her quick thinking, and her knee came straight for my balls. I turned my leg just in time to catch her knee on the side of my thigh. It still hurt like a son of a bitch. “What the fuck? Who are you?” I didn’t let her go, and she continued to struggle. As I held on to her, and I grabbed and tried to pull the camera free one handed, but it wouldn't come off.
"Let me go."
"No, not until you tell me who you are and who you work for. I'm not going to hurt you, but I can't let you run loose. So who are you?"
"Someone who's going to see all of you burn."
"Bold words for a captive woman."
"Oh, you think I'm your captive, do you?"
She elbowed me, and I doubled over. "Jesus fucking Christ."
She tried to twist free, and when my hands slipped, I hooked into her belt instead, and she fell on the ground with me. I rolled on top of her. "Stop moving. I don't want to hurt you."
I still tried to yank the camera from her body. "I just want the camera. You can't take pictures. I don't know who you are or what you want, or what story you think you saw, but it's not happening. Not today."
"I will end you."
"I'm sorry sweetheart, but aren't I the one on top of you?"
Then a jolt hit me. Right in the center of my chest, and I felt like I had been punched by Thor's fucking hammer. I jerked back, convulsing. She rolled me off easily then. "I told you, you can't hurt me. People like you aren't going to hurt me again."
She stood over me, and I could see that the messy brown hair she had tied at the nape of her neck was a wig. It was askew at the front. Her hair was darker. Chestnut maybe? It was hard to tell in the dark.
Fuck. Why couldn't I move? My teeth started to chatter, and I jumped. Fuck.
Then she reached down to my hand. I tried desperately to hold on to the camera, and we fought for it. What was a valiant fight in my head, to her was my laughingly feeble attempt to hang on, because she plucked it easily out of my hand. "You, East Hale, are going down. I won't stop until I crumble the house of cards. Do you understand me?" She leaned close, and the scent of honeysuckle filled my senses. Then along with not being able to fucking move, I couldn't breathe either, but in a good way. It was like her scent wrapped around me, enticing me, and then when it was too late, choking me.
I wasn’t sure how long I laid there seizing. God, had she used a Taser on me?
That was how Bridge found me, on my back. He was panting from the run. "Christ, both of you are fucking fast. I saw her hit you when I was across the street. Are you okay?"
I blinked up at him. "Fuck me."
"East, we've talked about this. You're not my type. I like you as a mate."
"Fuck you."
He grinned. "I see you're getting back to fighting form. You'll be all right. What did she hit you with?"
That buzzing in my head and my teeth had to mean she’d hit me with a fucking Taser. She came prepared with a Taser. Why?
Bridge pulled me to a sitting position, and I dragged in slow, steady breaths. "Fuck, that hurts."
"Is it actually pain or tingles?”
I groaned. "I guess more tingles. My teeth, God, they feel awful."
"Yeah, that's a lot of voltage. I think you should get checked out by the doc."
I shook my head. "I'll have the staff doctor come to the penthouse. I'm sure it's fine, but fuck me, who was that woman?"
"Well, you’re the one who went after her. And you caught her. She didn't tell you anything?"
I studied my friend in the darkness, the moonlight making his jet-black hair appear slightly bluish. I opened my palm, displaying the SD card I'd stolen out of the camera. "I am still Elite, remember? I have some tricks up my sleeve."
Bridge squatted down next to me and took the SD card out of my hand, studying it. "So you fooled one little girl. How long will it take before she finds out her SD card is missing?"
"I'm not sure, but it could be a day. But I’m sure that I'll have everything off of that thing tonight."
"Of course, you will."
I glanced around, staring into the darkness, wondering if she had turned back to watch her theoretical kill.
"I don't know who you are princess, but I will find out, and then you and I are going to have a very long chat about why you don't tase strangers."
To be continued in East End…
Thank you for reading FOR HER BENEFIT, the conclusion to he SEE NO EVIL TRILOGY. This delicious sexy thrill ride was such a blast to write! But the saga of the London Lords continues in East’s books! Find out who he’s fighting in that final scene.
* * *
Don’t throw stones, for you never know what they’ll discover in your glass house. I have one mission, protect my friends so we can mete out revenge. But the one woman who can shatter my house is the one I can’t stay away from.
* * *
Tonight, vengeance is mine.
* * *
READ East End… now!
* * *
You can read Nathan and Sophie’s story right now! Find out what happens when a seductive, jaded playboy with a filthy mouth meets his uptight neighbor and they strike a little ex payback bargain.
One-click MR. DIRTY now!
“Mr. Dirty is a fun and flirty romance with complex characters and a great storyline." - Amazon Reviewer
Can’t get enough billionaires? Meet a cocky, billionaire prince that goes undercover in Cheeky Royal! He’s a prince with a secret to protect. The last distraction he can afford is his gorgeous as sin new neighbor.
His secrets could get them killed, but still, he can’t stay away…
Read Cheeky Royal now!
Turn the page for an excerpt from Cheeky Royal…
UPCOMING BOOKS
* * *
East Bound
The Fall of East
London Bridge
Also from Nana Malone
Cheeky Royal
“You make a really good model. I’m sure dozens of artists have volunteered to paint you before.”
He shook his head. “Not that I can recall. Why? Are you offering?”
* * *
I grinned. “I usually do nudes.” Why did I say that? It wasn’t true. Because you’re hoping he’ll volunteer as tribute.
* * *
He shrugged then reached behind his back and pulled his shirt up, tugged it free, and tossed it aside. “How is this for nude?”
* * *
Fuck. Me. I stared for a moment, mouth open and looking like an idiot. Then, well, I snapped a picture. Okay fine, I snapped several. “Uh, that’s a start.”
* * *
He ran a hand through his hair and tussled it, so I snapped several of that. These were romance-cover gold. Getting into it, he started posing for me, making silly faces. I got closer to him, snapping more close-ups of his face. That incredible face.
&
nbsp; * * *
Then suddenly he went deadly serious again, the intensity in his eyes going harder somehow, sharper. Like a razor. “You look nervous. I thought you said you were used to nudes.”
* * *
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Yeah, at school whenever we had a model, they were always nude. I got used to it.”
* * *
He narrowed his gaze. “Are you sure about that?”
Shit. He could tell. “Yeah, I am. It’s just a human form. Male. Female. No big deal.”
* * *
His lopsided grin flashed, and my stomach flipped. Stupid traitorous body…and damn him for being so damn good looking. I tried to keep the lens centered on his face, but I had to get several of his abs, for you know…research.
But when his hand rubbed over his stomach and then slid to the button on his jeans, I gasped, “What are you doing?”
“Well, you said you were used doing nudes. Will that make you more comfortable as a photographer?”
* * *
I swallowed again, unable to answer, wanting to know what he was doing, how far he would go. And how far would I go?
* * *
The button popped, and I swallowed the sawdust in my mouth. I snapped a picture of his hands.
